(CNN) - Longtime Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, will not seek re-election next year, he said in a statement Tuesday.

"After much consideration and many conversations with my wife Mel and our family, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2014. I will serve out my term, and then it will be time to go home to Montana," he said.FULL POST

(CNN) - Gov. Brian Schweitzer, D-Montana, skirted around speculation he might throw his 10-gallon hat in the campaign ring for a 2016 White House bid, but gave a playful nod Sunday to voters in the early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

"It's way too early to talk about 2016," he told a political panel on CNN's "State of the Union with Candy Crowley." "I'm the governor of Montana until January. At that point, I'll no longer have the governor's mansion. I'll no longer have a driver. I won't have security so I'll have a little more time on my hands. I think I did mention that I have a warm regard for people of Iowa and New Hampshire."FULL POST

(CNN) - A new survey indicates that Sen. Jon Tester of Montana has his work cut out for him as he fights for re-election.

According to a Mason-Dixon poll conducted for five Montana newspapers, Rep. Denny Rehberg, the Republican challenger, has a 48%-45% edge over the first-term Democratic senator. Rehberg's three-point margin is within the poll's sampling error.FULL POST

(CNN) – Democratic Senator Jon Tester released a new television ad Tuesday highlighting his breaks with the Obama administration–like voting against Wall Street and for the Keystone Pipeline–and touting the Montana senator's home state first voting record.

"Why are out of state, corporate super PACs attacking Jon Tester? Because Jon always puts Montana first. Jon was 'the only Democrat who voted against both the Wall Street and auto' bailouts," the ad says.FULL POST

(CNN) - It's one thing when a candidate distances himself from his political party. It's another thing when the candidate's party supports his bid with an ad promoting that he "refuses to toe the party line."

A new television advertisement from the Montana Republican Party does just that, highlighting several House votes Rep. Denny Rehberg cast out of line with other Republicans.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - An independent group co-founded by Karl Rove that's already spending big bucks to put up television commercials critical of President Barack Obama is now going up with ads in three crucial U.S. Senate races.

Crossroads GPS and American Crossroads announced Thursday they will spend $1.12 million to run spots statewide on broadcast TV and cable in Indiana, Montana, and New Mexico.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney picked up more ammo in his quest for the White House, sweeping primaries in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and California on Tuesday night.

Though he had already won enough delegates - 1,144 - to clinch the Republican presidential nomination by last week, Romney technically remains the presumptive nominee until the party's convention in August.